The British School – Al Khubairat

The British School Al Khubairat
Location
Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Information
Established 1968
Enrollment Approximately 2000 (as of September 2014)
Campus Urban
Colour(s) Navy blue, Light blue, White
Website britishschool.sch.ae
Last updated: 1 February 2007

The British School Al Khubairat, formerly called "Al Khubairat Community School", now commonly known and referred to as "Al Khubairat", "BSAK", "The British School" is a school for English speaking children in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.[1][2] The school roll is some 1,800 students.[3]

Overview

The school follows the National Curriculum of England and Wales, and is an international member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC), the Independent Association of Preparatory Schools (IAPS) and the Council of British International Schools (COBIS). It has also received a top rating of 'excellent' by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI).[4]

Paul Coackley was Principal of the school from September 2005 until June 2013. Dr Christopher Ray started as the Headmaster in September 2013 but was replaced recently by Elaine Rawlings in May 2014. Elaine Rawlings is now Acting Headteacher of the British School Al Khubairat.

History

The British School Al Khubairat history is interwoven with the history of Abu Dhabi itself. The school has grown up with Abu Dhabi, and has a special relationship with the place, its people, and the British and wider expatriate community who call it home.

The school was established in January 1968 on land generously donated by the then Ruler of Abu Dhabi, His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, in an area of the city known as Khubairat. This area was the part of the Corniche where the pearl fishing fleet used to be first sighted on their return from sea. One suggested translation of the word 'Khubairat' is 'good news'.

In May 1971, the school was formally registered as a legal entity by Amiri Decree No. 5 of 1971, with its management vested in the Board of Governors. The Board is made up of elected governors and those appointed by His Excellency the British Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates. The school has been sponsored since 1980 by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, The President of the UAE.

In 1980 the school moved into its new purpose built facilities at its current location on Airport Road in Al Mushrif. The facilities reflected the school's main purpose at that time of providing primary education for children aged between 3 and 11-years-old. The original campus comprised an administration block, four teaching blocks and two sports halls. It also included a 25m swimming pool, around which were constructed staff quarters that accommodated the school's first teachers.

Towards the end of the 1990s it became apparent that there was a growing need in Abu Dhabi for the provision of secondary education. Increasingly, Abu Dhabi was no longer a posting of two to three years for most British expatriates, with more families staying here for five to ten years. As The British School was the centre for educational provision within the British expatriate society in Abu Dhabi, the Board of Governors responded to this demand by approving the construction of a new secondary school alongside the original primary buildings on the existing site. This was Phase 1 of The British School recent development programme.

Whilst Phase 1 was under construction, the Board of Governors decided to proceed with the construction of Phase 2, a new purpose built three-storey building for the primary school. This project not only improved primary provision but also released space for further buildings. Construction commenced in April 2001 and the Jubilee Building (Years 3–6) was formally opened by HE Sheikh Nayhan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan in April 2002.

As the construction of Phase 2 was drawing to a close, the new secondary school was proving to be a resounding success with full classes progressing into Years 7, 8 and 9. It became apparent that many families in Abu Dhabi wished to see their children continue their education at The British School into the sixth form so they could sit their A Levels in Abu Dhabi. The first A Level students completed their studies in June 2005.

A third phase of development was started in October 2002. This flagship building includes a theatre, auditorium, library, sixth form accommodation, an additional gymnasium, drama studio, music centre and a range of academic and administrative facilities. This building was opened in September 2005. The whole school now holds approximately 1,800 students.

In 2012, the School was proud to open Phase IV in its development, The Ruby Building, a new primary block for our very youngest children. This superb facility houses our youngest children, from Nursery to Year 2, as well as being home to our new Junior School library, our instrumental department, our two indoor pools, our Junior School sports halls, a drama/dance studio, our Science garden, our food technology room and our Junior School Science laboratory, in addition to its custom built classroom facilities.

The School has undergone dramatic and extensive redevelopment in the last decade both to modernise its facilities and to meet the changing requirements of the British and wider expatriate community. The four phases of development have been entirely financed by the school itself, reflecting our principle as a non-profit organisation that re-invests all its income back into the school for the benefit of the children.

Fees

2013–2014 Nursery: 34,054 dirhams per annum. Junior School: 44,160 dirhams per annum. Secondary School: 59,296 dirhams per annum. [5]

Campus

The school's campus plan consists of 4 gyms, 2 pitches, a playground, a swimming pool, a basketball court, a theatre, 2 libraries and 7 teaching blocks/buildings. The school occupies a space of approx 39,579 m² with car parking provided for parents, students and visitors.

School life

Currently, there are 2000 students in the school, as from September 2014. Al Khubairat offers the following subjects to its students:

Co-curricular and Academic enrichment activities

There are numerous clubs and activities that children of different ages can participate in after the regular school hours or during supervised lunchtime sessions. The co-curricular activities often change and are replaced throughout the year. The co-curricular clubs (both academic and co-curricular) change according to seasonal and ½ term timetables. Students who join the co-curricular clubs will have a chance to trial for sports teams which then play against numerous inter-school sides and Varsity matches. Existing co-curricular clubs include: Rugby, Netball, Volleyball, Football, Swimming, Golf, Cricket, Hockey, Athletics, Gymnastics, and Trampolining.

References

  1. ↑ British School Al Khubairat, Dubaifaqs
  2. ↑ The British School, Al Khubairat, Council of British International Schools.
  3. ↑ British School Al Khubairat, Dubaifaqs
  4. ↑ BSAK news
  5. ↑

External links

Coordinates: 24°26′53″N 54°23′12″E / 24.4480774°N 54.3867874°E